Kenan, the wholesome NBC series from Saturday Night Live staple Kenan Thompson, returns for its second season on January 3. Before the premiere, however, there is already an adorable holiday special available to watch that sets the tone for upcoming episodes. The comedy follows a recently widowed father (played by Thompson himself) raising his two daughters (Dannah and Dani Lane, Brooklyn Nine-Nine) with the help of his brother and father-in-law.

While he sorts out his personal life, the professional side cannot be neglected either, and the show heavily focuses on his job as a morning show host and the lovable team at his workplace. Fearless leader Mika Caldwell (Kimrie Lewis, Single Parents) is the executive producer of the fictional program and also one of Kenan’s closest friends, though sometimes it seems she could become more. Whether that dynamic deepens this season is something the audience is eager to uncover.

SCREENRANT VIDEO OF THE DAY

Lewis spoke to Screen Rant about the challenges Mika takes on in the second season, and the new experiences she herself took on when it comes to the NBC comedy.

I just watched the holiday special this week, and I was wondering what your favorite part of it was? It’s so nice to even have a holiday special at all in this day and age.

Kimrie Lewis: Yeah, and it’s nice to have a holiday special that airs during the holidays. If you’re watching a Christmas tree lighting when it’s like 100 degrees outside, something doesn’t feel genuine about that. Shout out to NBC for that.

I think my favorite part of this episode was the Christmas rap. It just reminded me of OutKast; it had an ATL vibe. And seeing Kenan flip over a car is gonna make me laugh every time. They just killed it so much. I was on set while they were filming a lot of that, because I was shadowing directors this season, and it was just such a treat to watch them go all the way in.

What has shadowing directors and preparing to spread your wings into that territory been like?

Kimrie Lewis: It’s so much fun. You learn so much, and we have the best directors who are coming in. We have Emmy winners and Oscar winners coming in, so being able to learn from these guys who do it is great. To be able to soak all of that in while also doing my job is nice, because I get a different perspective and a different lens, if you will, to watch the episodes this season. It’s been a delight.

Speaking of your job, Mika is also pulling double duty.

Kimrie Lewis: I realize it’s very Mika-like to be doing two different jobs while doing my own.

Mika and Kenan make a great team at work, and also potentially outside of work. But last time we checked that temperature, it was not ready yet. Where do they stand at the start of the season?

Kimrie Lewis: Yeah, when we left off last season, the temperature was hot – but maybe not in the best of ways. This season, they kind of leave that behind.

But Kenan is reminded by Mika, in her own special signature Mika way of doing things, that that wasn’t cool. Mika can get petty. She can be a little petty sometimes. Sometimes you gotta let people know, and she definitely does for Kenan.

I also love the morning show section of the show, are there any stories, segments, or professional conflicts that you can tease for this season?

Kimrie Lewis: I will say personal and professional on this show always bleed into one another. This season, you’ll see Mika really trying to balance that, not just on the dating side but also on the work side and even in her friend circle.

She is not great at doing a bunch of things at once in different circles, so it’s nice to see. It’s nice to have her morning show team and obviously Kenan help her along with that stuff.

I love that we have several women on the show, and that we get to see female friendships and work relationships with Pam and Tami. Can you talk about that trio and your vibe on set?

Kimrie Lewis: Oh my God, it’s the best. It’s the freakin’ best. We get along so well it’s kind of weird that we’re getting paid to do this, because we’re having so much fun together. But no, that’s a very anti-feminist thing to say. [Laughs] We need to be getting paid for it!

They’re so great at what they do, which is nice because we can have fun. We’re joking together but, when the cameras roll, we can rely on each other to not just be professional but to be funny as well. It’s a dream.

And Taylor [Louderman, who plays Tami,] gets to sing her butt off this season, which is so great. And Fortune gets to do all the things she’s amazing at. So, yeah, it is really nice to have that in the workplace.

You talked about shadowing directors, and Kenan is also a producer on this show as well as your costar. What is it like to work with him on both of those levels?

Kimrie Lewis: Yeah, he loves reminding you that he’s the boss. Every single day, multiple times a day. “Hey, boss is here.” “Hello, boss. Nice to see you again.” [Laughs]

No, everybody knows Kenan’s the best. He’s so good at what he does, and there’s a reason he’s been doing it forever. He’s the kind of boss that you forget is your boss, which I think are the best bosses. They sit back and let you do your thing, but they’re great at their job too.

You don’t want the boss that’s just like, “Yeah, I’m gonna let you do the thing, and I’ll be over here right now.” You want the one that’s like, “I’m gonna let you do your thing, and I’m gonna do my thing. And I’m gonna trust that it’s all gonna work out great.” He’s the best at that.

Working with children is also something that always unexpected and fun. What is it like getting to work with Dannah and Dani? Do you feel like it has taught you anything being around children on set, or is there anything you hope to pass on to them?

Kimrie Lewis: Yeah, they pretty much have their stuff together. They’re teaching me new things all the time, and they’re helping me get my life together, for sure. They’re just so naturally gifted at what they do that they don’t really have to try hard – because they are great. Not meaning that they don’t work hard butts, but they’re just so good at being themselves.

I think that’s a lesson for all of us to learn: just to be real and to be authentic. And they’re so professional already and so lovely to work with. They have such great hearts. and their minds in the right place. They’re teaching everybody how to be better.

Are there any unexpected aspects of Mika’s life that you get to explore this season or areas you hope the show delves into?

Kimrie Lewis: This season, you really get to see her have a social life, which is nice. Last season was all work, work, work, work – but this season, you get to meet some of her friends. You get to see her date some. [Laughs] She be in the dating world!

I’m not saying she’s great at any of this, but at least you get to see Mike have some of this stuff, which is really fun to play. I think, ultimately, the fans and the folks who’ve watched this show are going to be very pleasantly surprised to take a peek behind the curtain for Mika and for a lot of the characters on the show.

If you could give Mika any advice going into this season on either work, dating or friendships, what would it be?

Kimrie Lewis: That’s a great question. I would say just pace yourself, Mika. Ain’t got to do everything all at once. And then when it’s time to go, just go! Maybe I’m giving myself my own advice.

It’s very useful advice. Aside from learning more about directing, did you have any new experiences on set or learn some things that were out of the ordinary for you?

Kimrie Lewis: This season, we did a few musical numbers that you’ll get to see – including the Christmas episode. We already have the show built into the morning show, but seeing full-on music videos being shot while we’re making this comedy was fantastic. We get to just pull on everyone’s strong suits, which is lovely.

Also, it’s always a treat to be able to work during a pandemic. Last season was a little tricky, but this season was a lot easier in some ways. So, it’s always a miracle that we’re able to get anything done – let alone a whole freakin’ season. I can’t wait for folks to see what we were able to make and put together for this season. It’s so much fun, and you’re going to have so many laughs.

Kenan‘s second season premieres Monday, January 3 at 8/7c on NBC, and the holiday special is currently available to watch on Peacock.

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About The Author


Tatiana Hullender
(631 Articles Published)

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Tatiana Hullender is a writer at Screen Rant, focusing on film and television, as well as a co-host of several podcasts. In the interviews she conducts for Screen Rant, she seeks to learn what drives each creative mind and how different experiences influence the same narrative. As a graduate of Columbia University in New York City, Tatiana studied theater and comparative literature. She has been passionate about all manner of storytelling since being exposed to Jane Austen and BBC adaptations of her work all at once. But Regency satire of manners isn’t the only genre she loves, as a love of comic books naturally developed into a love of cinematic universes and their superheroes. So long as a story has heart and humor, there’s a chance of finding something to enjoy in the telling of it.
Visit @myrcellasear on Twitter to follow Tatiana’s articles, interviews and podcasts including: The Flash Podcast, Pop A La Carte and Ladies With Gumption. Subscribe to them on the Podcast app, or contact her directly at painted(dot)out(at)gmail.com.

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